Playing with a Combine Harvester

Isn't it lovely. Alex the Farmer from The Tournament Ground moved it from the barn at the farm half a mile away. He parked it here on this field just across the road from the Service Area on the A1 at Blyth. Only me driving it today, but he is fully booked tomorrow, Sunday.  

Lovely sunny day for it. Glad it isn't raining. 

The steering column in the middle is fully adjustable. I needed to pull it towards me. This is not meant to be a driving lesson, but we went through the usual procedures as if it was. Most of the buttons on the dashboard are on the right hand side. After turning the key to start the engine, it was a such a roar, the speed can be set by a big lever to the right of the steering column. Push it forward to move forward, neutral in the centre, ease it back to go into reverse. There is a footbrake pedal which can operate the left and the right wheels independently if you want to make a tight turn. 

Then you switch on the motor for the thresher thingy at the front and that sets the cutting teeth in motion. It needs to be lifted a few inches off the ground before you set off. 

We did a straight line up the middle field then turned round and went back. He explained which part of a field would the operator cut first. They do around the edge close to the hedges and worked their way inwards towards the centre. He asked me why they did it like that. Common sense I thought. They need to make a flat surface so the tractors and trailers can come alongside to pick up the grain when the hopper is full. 

It brought back memories of when I first got in a lorry cab all those years ago. It was scary, but exciting. The size of it, how you don't get a good view of the road ahead just in front of the cab. The blind spots. How everything looks distorted in the mirrors. How you can't see the back end. How you lose sight of the trailer wheels when you are turning a corner. In the beginning I often thought, I hope the trailer is still there, expecting it to fall off at any moment. 

I had ten days training in an artic, having never driven anything bigger than a Comer van before. I reckon if I had ten days training in this machine I could strip a whole field of its crop of corn.

A closer look at the machine. 

I really enjoyed that experience. When I finished I went off to Newark for a look around there. Pics will appear on the next post. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona